1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multimedia content and more specifically to a system and method of providing a shared experience with multimedia content over a communication system.
2. Introduction
Many media devices such as VCRs, portable video recorders, cable set top boxes, CD players, DVD players and so forth, allow users to control the playback of multimedia content. For example, common control features include pause, slow motion, frame advance and repeat. Currently, these media devices are used as stand alone units, which limits their use to a small number of users at a single location. For example, many users will have a home theater in which a DVD player and a cable set top box are utilized at one location in which they can manipulate and manage their multimedia viewing. Often many users in their homes will have more than one television or cable set top box in different rooms and will desire, while in the middle of watching a multimedia selection, to move to another location. The current status of stand-alone multimedia units prevents an ease of use at multiple locations. In another scenario, there may be multiple people in multiple different locations, who each desire to watch the same multimedia presentation. There is a lack of ability which enables synchronization of these various presentations at the various locations. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved system and method for enabling the sharing of multimedia content at different locations.